At root, American pop is Latin music as much as anything else, from country’s Mexican DNA to the Cuban syncopations that seeded jazz, rock & roll, disco, salsa and hip-hop. So an apparent trifle like Cardi’s B’s “I Like It” is, in fact, a pan-Latin masterstroke packed with history, a …
Read More »Artist You Need to Know: Bazzi
Bazzi‘s breakout hit “Mine” – currently in its 17th week on the Billboard Hot 100 – started as a phone note labeled “melody fire as fuck.” Sitting in an upstairs booth at a Times Square sushi establishment, Bazzi (first name Andrew) fiddles with an app, first to record a bit …
Read More »See Tyler Childers, Sturgill Simpson Play 'Whitehouse Road' at Nashville's Ryman
It’s a bit of a tradition to bring along a surprise guest when playing Nashville’s Ryman Auditorium, and Tyler Childers, opening the first of two sold-shows for Margo Price Saturday evening, delivered with Purgatory co-producer and friend Sturgill Simpson. Adding a fiery solo to “Whitehouse Road,” Childers’ song about the …
Read More »'Blue Tacoma' Singer Russell Dickerson on Streaming Success, New Video
Country newcomer Russell Dickerson is currently on the road opening for Thomas Rhett, an artist with whom he has much in common: like TR, Dickerson draws on his home life with wife Kailey to write engaging, personal country-pop that reinforces his status as a happily married man. The approach is …
Read More »Watch Kacey Musgraves' Silky 'Velvet Elvis' on 'Corden'
Kacey Musgraves put her sweet, soft “Velvet Elvis” on display during an appearance on The Late Late Show With James Corden Thursday night. The performance from the show’s intimate Stage 56 highlighted one of the many standout tracks from Musgraves’ recently releasedGolden Houralbum, hailed for its sparkling blend of genres, …
Read More »Dolly Parton, Emmylou Harris, Linda Ronstadt Charm on 'Tonight Show'
With the hectic schedules of three in-demand performers to consider, it’s a wonder the long-discussed and often-delayed LP project that combined the supreme talents of Dolly Parton, Emmylou Harris and Linda Ronstadt ever came to fruition. The three had collaborated on several one-off recordings together since first becoming fans of …
Read More »Cardi B Defends Controversial Rita Ora Collaboration 'Girls'
Cardi B defended her new collaboration with Rita Ora, Charli XCX and Bebe Rexha, “Girls,” after the song was criticized for its portrayal of bisexuality. On Twitter, the rapper said she and her collaborators “never [tried] to cause harm or had bad intentions with the song. I personally myself had …
Read More »Dave Chappelle, Jon Stewart Plot Joint Stand-Up Comedy Tour
Dave Chappelle and Jon Stewart announced a joint stand-up tour for this summer. The comedic icons announced a seven-date June run spanning three cities: the 11th, 12th and 13th at Boston’s Wang Theatre, the 21st and 22nd at Houston’s Smart Financial Centre and the 23rd and 24th at El Paso, …
Read More »See Jamey Johnson, Chris Janson's Duet of Merle Haggard's 'Footlights'
One week after he was inducted into the Grand Ole Opry last March, one of the long-running show’s newest members, Chris Janson, took the stage with fellow artist Jamey Johnson for a spine-chilling rendition of “Footlights,” the classic, autobiographical Merle Haggard song detailing a weary, jaded musician’s duty-bound efforts to …
Read More »Jack White: Dumpster Diving Led Me to the Stooges, Punk Rock
Jack White explained how dumpster diving led him to punk rock and changed his life during an interview with Questlove on the drummer’s “Questlove Supreme” podcast. Asked to discuss the music that meant the most to him growing up, White recalled how he used to poke around the dumpsters that …
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